A New Quantitative Roughness Measurement and its Application in the Polysilicon/Silicon Dioxide Interface

1992 ◽  
Vol 280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Su-Heng Lin ◽  
Miltiadis K. Hatalis

ABSTRACTA quantitative approach for characterizing the interface roughness between two materials by cross sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) is proposed. This approach is based on obtaining an interface height distribution curve (IHDC). The interface roughness can be characterized quantitatively by extracting from IHDC three parameters: the mean, median and maximum interface height. This new method has been applied in the characterization of the interface between thermally grown silicon dioxide and polycrystalline silicon thin films deposited by low pressure chemical vapor deposition. It is shown that high temperature processing yields an interface that has higher roughness.

1986 ◽  
Vol 76 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Dori ◽  
M. Arienzo ◽  
Y. C. Sun ◽  
T. N. Nguyen ◽  
J. Wetzel

ABSTRACTUltrathin silicon dioxide films, 5 nm thick, were grown in a double-walled furnace at 850°C in dry O2. A consistent improvement in the electrical properties is observed following the oxidation either with a Post-Oxidation Anneal (POA) at 1000°C in N2 or with the same POA followed by a short re-oxidation (Re-Ox) step in which 1 nm of additional oxide was grown. We attribute these results to the redistribution of hydrogen and water related groups as well as to a change in the concentration of sub-oxide charge states at the Si-SiO2 interface. A further improvement observed after the short re-oxidation step had been attributed to the filling of the oxygen vacancies produced during the POA. High resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy cross-sectional observations of the Si-iSO2 interface have evidenced an increase in the interface roughness after the thermal treatment at high temperature. These results are in agreement with recent XPS data.


1991 ◽  
Vol 238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul G. Snyder ◽  
Yi-Ming Xiong ◽  
John A. Woollam ◽  
Eric R. Krosche

ABSTRACTVariable angle spectroscopie ellipsometry (VASE), a nondestructive optical technique, was used to characterize two different multilayer samples, each having a low-pressure chemical vapor deposited polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) layer. Analysis of these samples by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) revealed large changes in grain size, between the undoped, as-deposited, and doped, annealed poly-Si layers. Roughness at the top of the poly-Si layers was also observed by XTEM. These features, together with the other structure parameters (thickness and composition), were analyzed ellipsometrically by fitting the measured VASE spectra with appropriate multilayer models. Each composite layer (surface overlayer, interfacial layer, and poly-Si layer) was modeled as a physical mixture, using the Bruggeman effective medium approximation. The ellipsometrically determined thicknesses were in very good agreement with the corresponding results measured by XTEM. Furthermore, VASE analysis provided additional information about the relative fractions of the constituent materials in the different composite layers. Thus, it quantitatively characterized the surface and interracial properties, and also the doping and annealing effects on the microstructure of poly-Si layers.


2000 ◽  
Vol 621 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Christiansen ◽  
M. Nerding ◽  
C. Eder ◽  
G. Andrae ◽  
F. Falk ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTWe crystallize amorphous silicon (a-Si) layers (thicknesses: ∼300nm and ∼1300nm for comparison) that are deposited on glass substrates (Corning 7059) by low pressure chemical vapor deposition using a continuous wave Ar+-laser. We scan the raw beam with a diameter of ∼60νm in single traces and traces with varying overlap (30-60%). With optimized process parameters (fluence, scan velocity, overlap) we achieve polycrystalline Si with grains as wide as 100νm. The grain boundary population is dominated by first and second order twin boundaries as analyzed by electron backscattering analysis in the scanning electron microscope and convergent beam electron diffraction in the transmission electron microscope. These twins are known not (or only marginally) to degrade the electrical properties of the material. In addition to twins, dislocations and twin lamellae occur at varying densities (depending on grain orientation and process parameters). The recombination activity of the defects is analyzed by EBIC and according to these measurements crystallization receipts are defined that yield the reduction of electrically detrimental defects.


1998 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 406-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian A. Zorman ◽  
Shuvo Roy ◽  
Chien-Hung Wu ◽  
Aaron J. Fleischman ◽  
Mehran Mehregany

X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy were used to characterize the microstructure of polycrystalline SiC films grown on as-deposited and annealed polysilicon substrates. For both substrate types, the texture of the SiC films resembles the polysilicon at the onset of SiC growth. During the high temperature deposition process, the as-deposited polysilicon recrystallizes without influencing the crystallinity of the overlying SiC. An investigation of the SiC/polysilicon interface reveals that a heteroepitaxial relationship exists between polysilicon and SiC grains. From this study, a method to control the orientation of highly textured polycrystalline SiC films has been developed.


1991 ◽  
Vol 237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xian-gang Xu ◽  
Bai-biao Huang ◽  
Shi-wen Liu ◽  
Hong-wen Ren ◽  
Min-hua Jiang

ABSTRACTGaAs/AlxGa1-xAs (x=0.5, 0.6, 1.0) superlattices used as buffer layers in HEMT devices have been grown by Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) at. atmospheric pressure, and characterized by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM). The initial stage of nucleation on the substrates has been clearly verified by examining the undulations of a 30na GaAs layer sandwiched between the substrate and the superlattice. Both Alo.5Gao.5As/GaAs and AlAs/GaAs superlattices can smooth out interface roughness caused by contaminations and dislocations on the substrate surface. The mechanism of smoothing effect has been discussed in detail.


1997 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chau-Hong Kuo ◽  
In-Cha Hsieh ◽  
Dieter K. Schroder ◽  
George N. Maracas ◽  
Sheau Chen ◽  
...  

1996 ◽  
Vol 452 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. J. Hinds ◽  
A. Banerjee ◽  
R. S. Johnson ◽  
G. Lucovsky

AbstractThe kinetics of the decomposition of silicon suboxides (SiOx, x<2) to Sic + SiO2 was studied as a function of composition and post-deposition annealing. Amorphous hydrogenated SiOx films (0.8<x<1.4) were deposited by remote plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RPECVD) and rapid thermal annealed (RTA) at temperatures of 500–1000°C. By monitoring the Si-O infra-red (IR) bond-stretch mode frequency, it was found that at temperatures below 850°C, or at a oxygen poor composition near SiO0.8, the decomposition reaction only proceeded to a metastable form of SiO1.6 + Si. Characterization by Raman and spectroscopie ellipsometry confirm similar trends. Cross sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirms that Si nanocrystals (Sine) are formed with anneals at 900°C (30 sec). As deposited suboxides show band edge photoluminescence at 1.6 eV which disappears upon annealing at 900°C, indicating a sharp suboxide free interface between Sinc and SiO2 matrix.


1996 ◽  
Vol 444 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Roy ◽  
C. A. Zorman ◽  
C. H. Wu ◽  
A. J. Fleischman ◽  
M. Mehregany

AbstractAtmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) was used to grow silicon carbide (SiC) on as-deposited and annealed polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) films which were deposited on oxidized Si wafers. X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals that SiC films grown on asdeposited polysilicon have a (110) orientation. XRD performed on as-deposited polysilicon before and after SiC growth reveals that the orientation of polysilicon changes from (110) to a mixture of (110) and (11) during growth of 2 μm-thick SiC films. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) images of the SiC/polysilicon interface show that the SiC appears to be unaffected by the recrystallization of the underlying polysilicon during the SiC growth. XRD from samples of SiC grown on annealed polysilicon show that both films have (110) and (111) orientations. For SiC films grown on annealed polysilicon substrates, XTEM images show that the crystallinity of the annealed polysilicon substrate does not significantly change during SiC growth. Furthermore, an investigation of the SiC/annealed-polysilicon interface using selected area diffraction (SAD) shows that an epitaxial relationship exists between the polysilicon and SiC grains.


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